Apparatus for preparing and distributing ice-cream sandwich

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for preparing and distributing alimentary products formed of a portion of ice-cream, mousse, or the like contained between two biscuits, wafers, waffles or other bakery products comprises at least a biscuits dispenser; a container suited to receive the product; means suited to drive biscuits from said dispenser to said container; means for compressing the product and means  4  for ejecting the final product; as well as a lever or an equivalent means suited to control the movement of the above-mentioned elements.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing and sellingice-creams to the public and particularly an apparatus for preparing theso-called ice-cream sandwich just before selling it.

The ice-cream sandwich is made up of a portion of ice-cream containedbetween two biscuits, wafers, waffles or other bakery products having acircular or poligonal shape.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

They are usually industrially prepared and sold in appropriate bags. Inthe handicraft way these ice-creams are prepared at points of sale byusing well known manual instruments that accordingly do not require adetailed description.

Such known instruments have several drawbacks, among which the poorhygiene due to the direct contact of the ice-cream with the hands of theseller. A further drawback is the long time necessary to select the typeof biscuit and the real preparation of the sandwich of ice-cream betweenthe two external biscuit layers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatusallowing a rapid, economic and hygienic preparation and sale ofice-cream sandwiches. This object is achieved through the apparatusaccording to the present invention whose features are specified in claim1. Further features of the apparatus according to the present inventionare specified in subsequent claims.

The apparatus for preparing and distributing ice-cream sandwichesaccording to the present invention, apart from allowing a rapid andeconomic preparation of the product in the greatest observance ofhygienic rules, since the operator holds the above-mentioned productonly when he gives it to the consumer, has also the advantage of beingeasily utilizable since the operator has only to move a lever besides toinsert the ice-cream, and thus the apparatus can be utilized byeverybody.

A further advantage of the apparatus for preparing and distributingice-cream sandwiches according to the present invention is that thisapparatus enables the consumer to choose even the biscuit amongdifferent available products.

Other advantages and features of the apparatus according to the presentinvention will be clear to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description of an embodiment thereof given with reference tothe attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a transparent lateral view of the apparatus according tothe present invention during the product pressing step;

FIG. 2 shows a further view of FIG. 1 as simplified through the omissionof some components;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an enlarged detail of FIGS. 2 and 3;and

FIG. 4 shows in a lateral view several components of the apparatus notyet assembled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown the apparatus formanufacturing and distributing ice-cream sandwiches according to thepresent invention comprising a piece 5 formed by a couple of equal andparallel circular sectors firmly connected to each other by pivots 5 aand 5 b. Such a piece 5 is integral with a control lever (not shown inthe drawing) pivoted on a lateral face of the apparatus, and drivescomponents 6 and 7, one of which being shown in FIG. 4, to rotate aroundpivot 11 of the lever. Component 7 is made up of a couple of equal andparallel compensators, firmly connected by pivot 12 and placedexternally to the two circular sectors that form piece 5. This component7 is linked to components 1 and 3 through buttonholes and countershafts.

Component 1 is made up of a couple of equal and firmly connectedparallel carriages, each provided with two wheels sliding on guidesformed at the apparatus base in such a way as to be able to translatehorizontally. This carriage 1 is provided at the top with a pusher 1 ahaving the function of individually pushing the biscuits out of one ofdispensers 13. The apparatus is in fact provided at the top with a plate(not shown in the drawing) that can be manually rotated and on whichseveral biscuits dispensers 13 are placed, each for every type. Suchdispensers 13 consist of containers opened at the top, in order to beeasily rechargeable, and provided at the base of a lateral wall with twoopenings mutually facing in such a way as to let pusher 1 a enter one ofthem and to let a biscuit exit from the other one. Carriage 1 is firmlyconnected to two parallel supports 1 b sliding underneath said plate andacting as guides for inserting into a container 3 each biscuit extractedfrom dispenser 13.

The latter is formed of a cylinder opened at the top that ends with acylinder 3 a having a shorter radius. Cylinder 3 a, extending nearly tothe base of the apparatus, contains a stem 4 which pushes a small plate4 b to translate vertically. This small plate 4 b, located insidecontainer 3, forms the lower mobile base of container 3. Stem 4 islinked to cylinder 3 a through a mechanism which allows these two piecesto be firmly connected or to reciprocally translate as will be describedfurther.

Component 6, placed between the two circular sectors that form piece 5,is a sector provided with a toothed profile engaging an helical profileformed on a shaft 8, thus controlling both translational and rotatorymotion thereof. Shaft 8, supported by a sleeve 8 a, is placed betweencylinder 3 a and pivot 11 and is firmly connected to plunger 2 throughan arm 2 a and an L-shaped element 9. This L-shaped element 9 ends witha nose which, as a result of the rototranslatory motion of shaft 8, getsinto a buttonhole of an element 10 acting as a linkage between cylinder3 a and stem 4.

The preparation of ice-cream sandwiches according to the presentinvention is carried out in four steps to which three differentconditions of the apparatus correspond: the first step is the biscuitdispensing step to which corresponds the first apparatus condition,named dispensing mode; after having reset the apparatus in the restingmode, the second step is carried out, i. e. the step of insertingice-cream inside the container; the third step consists in rearrangingthe apparatus in the dispensing mode so as to place a second biscuit onthe ice-cream portion; finally the fourth step is carried out whereinthe apparatus is arranged in pressing mode during which the product issubjected to compression and then ejected from the apparatus. Thepassage from a mode to another one occurs by moving the control leverfrom a position to another.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown how the first step iscarried out. The arrows indicate the rotation or translation sense ofthe various elements. By rotating counterclockwise the control leverwith respect to the starting position corresponding to the resting mode,and by so positioning it in the dispensation mode, the circular sector5, integral with the control lever, rotates in the sense indicated byarrow, thus driving also compensator 7 to rotate through pivot 5 b. Thecounterclockwise stroke of the circular sector 5 is, anyway, shortenough to not risk to drive also toothed sector 6 to rotate throughpivot 5 b. Compensator 7 has a first arm, 7 a provided with abuttonhole, and a second arm, 7 b provided with a countershaft 7 c, atwhich, on cylinder 3 a and on carriage 1 there are respectively acountershaft 3 b and a buttonhole through which compensator 7 isconnected to components 1 and 3 a.

These linkages work in such a way that, when compensator 7 rotates,cylinder 3 a, and thus container 3, that in this step is integraltherewith, moves vertically upwards thanks to countershaft 3 b whichchanges the rotatory motion of compensator 7 into a translatory motionof cylinder 3 a. In the same time, carriage 1, thanks to countershaft 7c, moves horizontally in the direction indicated by the arrow. Ascarriage 1 moves, also pusher 1 a integral therewith, moves pushing thelast biscuit of the stack outside the biscuits dispenser 13. Since alsosupports 1 b are integral with element 1, as pusher 1 a pushes thebiscuit, the latter lays on these supports 1 b which gradually moveforward together with the same pusher 1 a and drive the biscuit until itcomes exactly over container 3. At this point, coinciding with the pointin which pusher 1 a reaches the stop, a suitable device opens the twosupports 1 b so to let the biscuit drop in the underneath container 3,which meanwhile has been lifted through the mechanism described above.

The biscuit is preferably put down on a special wrapping, previouslyplaced on the bottom of container 3, which wrapping is intended to avoidthat the operator cleans the apparatus after having prepared eachice-cream sandwich, and that the final product comes into contact withthe hands of the operator when he gives it to the consumer.

Once the first biscuit has been placed into container 3, the operatorcan rearrange the lever in resting mode. This allows the compensator 7to rotate clockwise as returned by a spring not shown in the drawing. Inthis way pusher 1, driven by compensator 7, moves back until it comes tothe starting position, and container 3, and thus cylinder 3 a togetherwith stem 4 fixed thereto, lower again.

At this point the second preparation step of the product is carried out.This step consists of manually inserting the ice-cream on the surface ofthe biscuit placed inside container 3, with an appropriate proportionerspoon which, to this end, is leant at an appropriate gap formed on thelateral surface of container 3.

The third preparation step of the product consists of dispensing thesecond biscuit on the inserted ice-cream portion, and accordingly theprocedure is the same as in the first step by arranging the lever in thedistributing mode.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown how the last step, i. e.the pressing step wherein the lever is rotated clockwise so as toarrange it in the pressing mode, is carried out. The rotation of thelever in this direction makes circular sector 5 to rotate in the senseopposite to the one in which the same sector 5 rotates in thedistributing step. Sector 5, through pivot 5 a, drives toothed sector 6to rotate. The latter, together with the helicoidal profile formed onshaft 8, constitutes a gear mechanism. Therefore the rotation of toothedsector 6 causes a rototranslation of shaft 8 that is transmitted also toplunger 2 which, by rotating, comes over container 3, and by movingdownwards presses the product contained therein. Simultaneously, sinceL-shaped element 9 is integral with shaft 8, it also moves with arototranslatory motion so to be inserted into the buttonhole located atone end of element 10. This element 10 is thus caused, by the motion ofL element 9, to move horizontally in the direction bringing it near toshaft 8. This movement releases stem 4, up to this moment integral withcylinder 3 a thanks to a removable catch, and, as the lever isrearranged in the resting mode, a spring pushes upwards the stem 4.Since the latter is integral with plate 4 b, it pushes also the finalproduct upwards and hence outside container 3, thus making it easy forthe operator to take it and deliver it to the consumer. Simultaneously,the toothed sector 6 is brought back in resting position by a spring 14.The latter is located in the area of toothed sector 6 opposite to thetoothed profile with respect to pivot 11. This spring 14, having theother end fixed to the frame of the apparatus, is drawn during thepressing step and then released when the lever is rearranged in theresting mode while dragging with it the toothed sector 6. In order toavoid that the latter, once returned by the spring, goes on rotatingthus going beyond the desired position, a locking device (not shown inthe figure) is used. The toothed sector 6 causes in turn shaft 8,through the gear mechanism, to move upwards and, with it, also arm 2 a,plug 2, and L-shaped element 9, which element is in this way removedfrom the buttonhole of piece 10. The latter gets back in the startingposition through a spring. At this point it is sufficient to push plate4 b on the bottom to get the apparatus ready for preparing anotherice-cream sandwich.

Possible variations and/or additions can be made by those skilled in theart to the embodiment here described and illustrated without departingfrom the scope of the invention. For example it could be envisaged tosubstitute supports 1 b by guides fixed to the frame, which bendinwardly to let the biscuit drop when the pusher reaches the stop.

It could be also envisaged to automate the apparatus by providing itwith devices for the automatic control of the sequence of various steps.

The apparatus could further be provided with electric or pneumaticactuators instead of the manually working lever.

For constructing the apparatus according to the present invention it ispossible to utilize any known material regarded as suitable to constructapparatuses of conventional type.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention andwithout diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intendedthat such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for preparing and distributing alimentary productsformed of a portion of ice-cream, mousse, or the like contained betweentwo bakery products, comprising at least a biscuit dispenser; acontainer suited to receive the product; means suited to drive thebakery product from the dispenser to said container; means forcompressing the product and means for ejecting the final product; andcontrol means suited to control the movement of elements of theapparatus.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlmeans act on a pivot whereon there is keyed a circular sector providedwith two pivots that rotate a toothed sector and a compensator bothrotating around said pivot of the circular sector.
 3. The apparatusaccording to claim 1 wherein the control means consist of a lever. 4.The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control means consist ofelectric or pneumatic actuators acting on the pivot.
 5. An apparatusaccording to claim 1 comprising linkages so constructed and arranged sothat as the container moves near to the bakery product dispenser, apusher pushes a bakery product on one or more supports which movesforward to cause the biscuit to drop when it is over the container. 6.The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the linkages are coupled totwo arms of the compensator which are respectively suited to make acylinder, integral with the container, move upwards, and cause acarriage, integral with pusher and with supports, to move horizontally.7. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising linkages that, while thepressing means are compressing the product, a mechanism, acting in sucha way as to prepare the ejection of the final product, is set in motion.8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the pressing means are aplunger and said linkages are carried out through a shaft connected tosaid plunger through an arm and to an element acting in such a way as tounengage an element which prior thereto caused a stem to be firmlyconnected to the cylinder.
 9. An apparatus according to claim 1comprising at a top thereof a rotating plate on which at least twodispensers of bakery products rest.
 10. An apparatus according to claim1 wherein the bakery product is selected from the group consisting ofbiscuits, wafers, and waffles.
 11. An apparatus for preparing anddistributing products formed of a portion of ice-cream between twobakery products comprising: at least a bakery product dispenser; acontainer for receiving the product; a member for moving the bakeryproduct from the dispenser to the container; a member for compressingthe product; a member for ejecting the final product; and a member thatcontrols the movement of at least certain elements of the apparatus.